Buying a new TV .. (1 Viewer)

[hugh]

So I wanna get a new TV and am far too lazy to spend hours and hours researching it (present TV is 15" Philips CRT job from about 10 years ago).

This is what I require:

No bigger than 23" (why people needs TVs the size of cinema screens in their living rooms is completely beyond me. Are they all visually impaired in some way?)

HD Ready (not entirely convinced I actually need this but what the hell)

Fancy inputs (you know the type you need to get something like Apple TV to work with it .... hdmi??)

Not a crazy screen ratio (I would like it to near enough to the shape of an actual television, not a cinema screen, so that when I watch television, people will not appear wider than they are tall).

Anyone got a recommendation for me?

 

[pete]

Anyone got a recommendation for me?

read up on widescreen broadcasts before you buy a new telly


edit: what i mean is the reason you're seeing people too wide is either because either the widescreen TV is set up wrong and is "zooming" in to the picture, or the digital receiver is configured arseways & is outputting a 4:3 signal to a 16:9 screen

Or alternatively you're looking at an analog signal (ntl basic, say) which still only ouputs 4:3 ("normal" telly) instead of 16:9 (widescreen) picture on a widescreen telly, so it appears stretched. this can be fixed by setting the telly to 4:3 mode.

16:9 widescreen tellyboxes are the way to go. when digital kicks in over here it's what everything will be be broadcast in & you'll need to either letterbox the picture on your "square" tv (so you'll have black borders at the top & bottom) or chop the sides of the picture off. neither are particularly attractive options.

 

[hugh]

Hmmm ... so I have ntl basic at the moment.

An anolgue tv service like this is 4:3, yeah? So, if I stick with this and buy a 16:9 telly then it will be stretched horribly unless I tell the telly to display it on a smaller portion of the screen (leaving the left and right edges blank).

On the otherhand if I upgrade to ntl digital and get a 16:9 telly then all is hunky dory, right?

edit: just re-read your post and you've answered those questions already. Ta, Pete

 

[pete]

bingo!

 

[Umfufu]

Hijacking thread.

The bird just got her new apartment & needs a tv.
I think she'll need a 32".
Wouldn't go any smaller cos the tv will probably be on the opposite wall of the sitting room to where the couch will be (about 15 feet or so).

She'll probably get NTL or some crap, so she can get the broadband sorted too.

She probably won't be in till after Christmas realistically (there's a small wall to be knocked & a new kitchen to go in).

She should probably wait til the January sales but should she play it safe & buy it in a shop or is buying a tv online safe/worth it?
Any suggestions on where to get a good deal would be appreciated.

 

[hugh]

Well I got a 23" Samsung from Komplett.ie

No problem with the buying online thing. It worked out significantly cheaper than the shops. Firstly because they are a bit cheaper but more importantly because they don't just stock the latest model and ones that aren't the latest model are cheaper ... quick delivery too.

 

[CitySickness]

Or alternatively you're looking at an analog signal (ntl basic, say) which still only ouputs 4:3 ("normal" telly) instead of 16:9 (widescreen) picture on a widescreen telly

I didn't realise NTL digital broadcasts in widescreen - is this true of all channels? I'm still on the analogue signal, which is extremely good around our way and I'm reluctant to pay extra for digital when it'll probably look shoddier than the analogue on the big telly.

 

[Lefty Frizzell]

I didn't realise NTL digital broadcasts in widescreen - is this true of all channels? I'm still on the analogue signal, which is extremely good around our way and I'm reluctant to pay extra for digital when it'll probably look shoddier than the analogue on the big telly.

Heres an option for you...

The basic ntl digital package is only 4 quid a month more than the analogue service. Get that.

Then get a eurovox box. Bam! 150+ of the finest channels just like that. Bam!

 

[Goodbye]

150+
and finest channels
in the same sentence?

 

[CitySickness]

Heres an option for you...

The basic ntl digital package is only 4 quid a month more than the analogue service. Get that.

Then get a eurovox box. Bam! 150+ of the finest channels just like that. Bam!

No interest in the Eurovox, but would be nice to get BBC Three/4 and FilmFour with that package. What's the picture quality like, though?

 

[pete]

Heres an option for you...

The basic ntl digital package is only 4 quid a month more than the analogue service. Get that.

Then get a eurovox box. Bam! 150+ of the finest channels just like that. Bam!

i've heard you just need the box and don't need to get the digital service since NTL send the signal over the same cable as the analogue signal whether you're a digital customer or not...

 

[Napalm]

Hijacking thread.

The bird just got her new apartment & needs a tv.
I think she'll need a 32".
Wouldn't go any smaller cos the tv will probably be on the opposite wall of the sitting room to where the couch will be (about 15 feet or so).

She'll probably get NTL or some crap, so she can get the broadband sorted too.

She probably won't be in till after Christmas realistically (there's a small wall to be knocked & a new kitchen to go in).

She should probably wait til the January sales but should she play it safe & buy it in a shop or is buying a tv online safe/worth it?
Any suggestions on where to get a good deal would be appreciated.

Just seen an ad in my local shop. 32inwidesecreen 1 year old not sure what make it is. 300 blips